Restaurant Week Featured Chef, David Wright

The best way to discover new styles for presenting, some of Chattanooga’s favorite, foods is by trying the restaurants participating Restaurant Week 2016, which is taking place this week. It is a perfect time for each of our featured chefs to show off before the FiveStar Food Fight! Fresh vegetables and local meats and cheeses offer the best opportunity for increased nutrition and better health. And the taste? Check it out.

The featured chefs of Restaurant Week will also be participating in The FiveStar Food Fight which will take place at the Chattanooga Market on August 7. Featured Chefs will be cooking for a panel of judges before the public, using the freshest local ingredients directly from the day’s market. This article serves as an introduction to the five as each has distinctive accomplishments to bring to the table, so to speak. Today, we feature David Wright.

David WrightChef, The Flying Squirrel

Born in Oakland, California, David Wright moved to Tennessee at the age of four. He loves all things Southern, especially the cuisine. His first industry job was washing dishes at what was once the Southside Jazz Junction. He has worked in the industry for over 15 years, apprenticing with successful restaurant entrepreneurs Mike and Taylor Monen at the Urban Stack Burger Lounge and James Beard nominated chef Daniel Lindley at Alleia. After several years at St. John’s and the Meeting Place with Lindley, Wright joined The Flying Squirrel three years ago.

Always on a quest to keep learning and pushing forward, Wright finds amazing places to eat throughout the country. He believes some of the best are right here in the South.

At the Flying Squirrel, patrons can enjoy a variety of creative small plates by Chef Wright—from Cuban tacos and soft-shell crab to fresh halibut—late into the night.

The ever-popular Sunday Brunch serves upwards of 600 people and is the only time when all ages are present. It has also come to represent almost 30 percent of total sales. Wright praises the progressive management styles of owners Dan Rose and Max Poppel and adds, “I like working for people I can learn from. And even more importantly, they believe everyone has a voice.”

Someday the 28-year-old Wright hopes to fulfill his interest in natural fermentation and explore various wines and spirits. Until then, he’ll keep them coming back for more at the Flying Squirrel.